Automatic machine to test and correct for dynamic unbalance



Jan. 29, 1957 J. R. sTovALL, JR., ETAL 2,779,217

AUTOMATIC MACHINE TO TEST AND CORRECT FOR DYNAMIC UNBALANCE Filed Deo.

18 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 29, 1957 J. R. sTovALL., JR., Erm. 2,779,217

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AUTOMATIC MACHINE TO TEST AND CORRECT FOR. DYNAMIC UNBALANCE 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. l1 1951 ATTORNEYS l Jan. 29, '1957 J. R. sTovALl., JR., l-:rAL 2,779,217

AUTOMATIC MACHINE TO TEST AND CORRECT FOR DYNAMIC UNBALANCE ATTORNEYS J. RysTovALl., JR., Erm. 2,779,217

Jan. 29, 1957 AUTOMATIC MACHINE TO TEST AND CORRECT FOR DYNAMIC UNBALANCE 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. ll 1951 Jan. 29, 1957 J. R. sTovALl., JR., ETAL 2,779,217

AUTOMATIC MACHINE TO TEST AND CORRECT FOR DYNAMIC UNBALANCE Filed Dec. 1l, 1951 18 Sheets-Sheet 6 NT R @fjw

ATTORNEYS Jan. 29, 1957 J. R. sTovALL, JR.. l-:TAL 2,779,217

AUTOMATIC MACHINE TO TEST vND CORRECT FOR' DYNAMIC UNBALANCE Filed Dec. 1l, 1951 *Y 18 Sheets-Sheet 7 Y l/Z WLM@ ATTORNEYS Jan. 29, 1957 J. R. sTovALl., JR., ETAL 2,779,217

AUTOMATIC MACHINE To TEsT AND CORRECT FOR DYNAMIC UNBALANCE Filed Dec. 1l. 1951 18 Sheets-Sheet 8 Mci BY www Jan. 29, 1957 Filed Dec. 1l, 1951 .1. R. sTovALL, JR., ETAL 2,779,217

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' AUTOMATIC MACHINE To TEST AND CORRECT ECR DYNAMIC UNBALANCE Filed Dec. 11, 1951 18 sheets-sheet 14 MEW Gttorneg 5 Jan. 29, 1957 JQR. sTovALL, JR., ErAL 'A y2,779,217

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Filed DeOv. ll, 1951 18 `Sheets-Smm 1e (ttomegs Jan. 29, 1957 J. R. sTovALL, JR., ETAL 2,779,217v

AUTOMATIC MACHINE TO TEST AND CORRECT FOR DYNAMIC UNBALANCE Filed Dec. 1l, 1951 I 18 Sheets-Sheet 17 Jan. 29, 1957 J. R. STOVALL, JR., ETAL AUTOMATIC MACHINE TO TEST AND CORRECT FOR DYNAMIC UNBLANCE Filed Dec. ll 1951 18 Sheets-Sheet 18 l maentor.,` A i' myn/Law Gttorneg s nited States Patent Ol AUTOMATIC MACHINE TO TEST AND CORRECT FOR DYNAMIC UNBALANCE John R. Stovall, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., George C. Lawrie, Collingswood, N. J., and Albert F. Craig, Levittown, N. Y., assignors to Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Company, Willow Grove, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 11, 1951, Serial No. 260,957

24 Claims. (Cl. 77-5) This invention relates to equipment for testing work pieces to determine unbalance therein and for correcting such unbalance. The invention is especially concerned with equipment of this kind adapted to the testing for and correcting of unbalance in rotatable machine parts, for instance in automobile crankshafts.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide equipment for testing and correcting for unbalance, which equipment is automatically operative through certain cycles of operation including, in general, a testing cycle and a correcting cycle, the latter of which is controlled at least in part by signals generated in the testing cycle.

To consider certain of the objects and advantages of the invention more fully, it is iirst pointed out that the Vequipment of the invention includes mechanism for mounting the crankshaft or other work piece to be tested and corrected, the mounting mechanism including a mount for supporting the piece with freedom for oscillation and for rotation, whereby the testing operation may be carried out, and another mount for supporting the piece firmly in a given position to permit the performance of a correcting operation thereon, as by drilling metal from the piece. For convenience the mounting `of the piece on said first mount may lbe said to provide a testing station, position or condition, and the other mount may be said to provide a correcting station or position or condition. rThe piece is also rotatable in the correction station so that the correcting operation, as by drilling out metal, may be performed in the desired angular position about the axis of rotation of the piece.

The equipment for effecting the testing operation is operative while the piece is supported in the testing station and this portion of the equipment includes mechanism for determining both the magnitude and angular orientation of unbalance. Provision is made for development of a signal proportional to the magnitude of unbalance and for the feeding of such signal to the correction mechanism, whereby the magnitude of correction is automatically regulated in accordance with the determination made by the testing operation. In addition, provision is made for development of a signal related to angular orientation of the unbalance and for indicating such angular orientation, so as to enable the operator to effect the correction operation in the proper angular position about the axis of the piece. `Provision is still further made for giving a direct indication or reading of both the factors just mentioned.

With the equipment arranged as above referred to, the matter of balancing a work piece, such as a crankshaft, becomes a rapid simple, and relatively foolproof operation.

In the preferred embodiment of the equipment, pro vision is made, in the case of a machine designed for the balancing of crankshafts, to effect a testing and a correction operation in each of a plurality of planes, for instance, in each of two planes located toward opposite ends .of the crankshaft. In such an embodiment of the equipment, separate signals representing the magnitude 2,779,217 Patented Jan. 29, 1957 'ice and angular orientation of the unbalance in each of the planes of correction are generated and these separate signals are respectively used to effect the correction in the two planes of correction.

In accordance with `another aspect of the invention, provision is made forl effecting certain ymanual operations in the course of the -balancing operation itself. For instance, in the event of unbalance in a crankshaft at such an angular position that drilling out of metal to eifecthalancing is impossible or impracticable, provision is m'ade for angularly shifting the unbalance inlorder to bring it to a point where it may be corrected by the drilling out of metal. l

The equipment of the invention also makes provisionfor. effecting correction in a given correction plane by drill-yv ing out metal in more than one angular position about the axis of the piece. This is of especial advantage in situae tions where the particular piece being tested has an abnormally large unbalanceand where the drilling out of metal to correct the unbalance would require removal of so much metal as to weaken or otherwise impair the piece.

Still further, the invention Vcontemplates employment of certain control systems which are not only exceedingly simple from the standpoint of manipulation by the operator but which also provide a number of safety factors, interlocks and the like, all of which will be more fully explained hereinafter. By way of illustration it may here be mentioned that the overall control system includes an individual control by which the entire mechanism may be cleared at any point in the entire cycle of operation.

The control systems of the equipment also include memory and timing devices whereby signals developed during the testing portion of the cycle may be stored until initiation of the correcting portion of the cycle, and whereby a properly timed and sequentially arranged series -of events will automatically be carried out upon the operation of certain of the master controls.

It is here noted that the testing portion of the equipment per se contemplated for use in accordance with the present yinvention substantially conforms with that fully disclosed in the copending application of John R. Stovall, I r., and Irving Weintraub, Serial No. 233,294, tiled June 25, 1951, assigned to the assignee of the present application. The details of certain structure of the testing portion of the equipment, since they form no part of the present invention per se, are therefore not disclosed in detail herein, but are shown herein in their relation to other portions of the equipment. With reference to certain broad aspects of the present invention, any testing Vequipment may be utilized provided it is capable of delivering the kind of control signals used in the equipment of the present invention in connection with the correction operation itself. However, the general kind of control Signals developed by the equipment of said copending application are preferred for use herein.

As will be readily apparent as the description proceeds, there are numerous objects and advantages which can more readily be pointed out after description of certain portions of the equipment.

The novelty; and utility ofthe present invention will be readily apparent from the following description and drawings,`wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention, including illustration of mounting arrangements for the work piece, balancing drills, etc.;

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of the machine, viewed as indicated by the line 2 2 of Figure 1 .with certain control panels and pneumatic connections added;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a drill traverse control mechanism employed in the machine;

o Figure 4 is a front View of the mechanism of Figure 3 with certain parts appearing in section;

Figure 5 is a plan section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modified part of the mechanism of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 7--7 of Figure 2 of an indicating mechanism ernployed in the machine;

Figure 8 is a plan View of the pointer and dial of the mechanism of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a plan view of an indicating scale employed in the mechanism of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a cross section taken on the line lil- 10 of `Figure 7;

vFigure 1l is a plan section taken on the line 11--11 of Figure l0; l

Figures l2 to 19 inclusive are diagrammatic views illustrating certain parts in various positions they assume in the sequence of operations of the machine;

Figure is a block diagram diagrammatically representing the general interrelation of certain of the major components of the equipment;

. Figure 21 is a schematic wiring diagram of a master circuit for controlling sequence of operations of the equipment;

Figure 21a is a somewhat diagrammatic exploded view of the wafers of the sequence controlling or stepping switch;

Figure 22 is a schematic wiring diagram of the circuit for initiating the operation of the testing cycle;

Figure 23 is a schematic wiring diagram of the circuit for controlling the operation of the timing mechanism including the timer motor;

Figure 24 is a timing chart illustrating certain of the operations of the timing mechanism;

Figure 25 is a diagrammatic view of the timing mechanism illustrating the relationship between the timer contacts and the timer cams;

Figure 26 is a schematic wiring diagram of the safety stop circuit;

Figure 27 is a schematic wiring diagram of the system power supply circuit together with the supply circuits of certain of the motors used in the present invention;

Figure 28 is a schematic wiring diagram of the pivot,

transducer and servomotor circuits;

Figure 29 is a schematic wiring diagram of the circuits for controlling certain solenoids;

'Figure 3() is a schematic wiring diagram of the input circuits to the testing mechanism;

Figure 31 is a schematic wiring diagram of certain memory circuits described hereinafter;

Figure 32 is a schematic wiring diagram of certain other memory circuits also described hereinafter;

Figure 33 is 'a schematic wiring diagram of certain of the right side (when Viewed as in Figure 2) indicator lights, actuating switches and actuating relays;

Figure 34 is a schematic wiring diagram of certain of the left side indicator lights, actuating switches and actuating relays;

Figure 35 is a schematic wiring diagram of certain motor starters;

Figure 36 is a schematic wiring diagram of the control circuit for certain pneumatic mechanism used to change the operating condition of the equipment;

Figure 37 is a schematic wiring diagram of the circuit for actuating the mechanism for transferring the work piece from the testing to the correcting station;

Figure 38 is a schematic wiring diagram of the circuit for actuating the mechanism for clamping the work piece in the correcting station;

Figure 39 is a schematic wiring diagram of the right drill push button circuit;

Figure 40 is a schematic wiring diagram of the circuit for advancing the right drill;

Figure 41 is a schematic wiring diagram of the work piece contact switches, together with the circuit for supplying coolant to the drills;

Figure 42 is a schematic Wiring diagram of the drilling depth contacter circuits for the drills;

Figure 43 is a schematic wiring diagram of the right drill return circuit;

Figure 44 is a schematic wiring diagram of the left drill push button circuit;

Figure 45 is a schematic wiring diagram of the circuit for advancing the left drill;

Figure 46 is a schematic wiring diagram of the left drill return circuit; and

Figure 47 is a schematic wiring diagram of the circuit for controlling certain auxiliary or manual drilling operations.

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE EQUIPMENT The general arrangement of the equipment of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the physical relationship of certain of the parts of the invention will be briey described in the paragraphs following.

The mechanism for supporting and rotating a work piece, for example a crankshaft 15 is generally indicated by the reference numeral 16. The mounting arrangement includes means for supporting the crankshaft in a testing station or position for determining the dynamic unbalance of the work piece and means for supporting the kwork piece in a correction station or position for performing a correction operation. The mechanism for transferring or lifting the work piece from one station to the other is indicated at 17.

The correction mechanism is generally indicated by reference numeral 18. included in the correction mechanism are right drill 19, right auxiliary drill 20, left drill 21 and left auxiliary drill 22. These drills are mounted for traverse toward and away from the work piece 15. The mechanism to control the traverse of the right drills 19 and 20 is indicated at 23 while the mechanism for control of the traverse of the left drills 21 and 22 is indicated at 24. Also shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a clamp 25 which is adapted to secure the work piece during the correction operation. As is clearly illustrated in Figure 2 the above referred to mechanisms are supported on the back plate 26 and the upright member 27. Also it is to be observed that the mechanisms for supporting and rotating the work piece, and the member 27 are mounted on the base plate 28.

As is best seen in Figure 2, the operators control board consists of signal light panel 29, push button panel 30 and meters 31 and 32. The controls shown on the push button panel are for initiating certain of the testing and correction operations to be later described. The lights on the light panel indicate to the operator certain information regarding unbalance in the work piece and also information regarding the correction operation being performed. Meter 31 indicates the angular orientation of unbalance in the work piece while meter 32 indicates the amount of unbalance.

Also shown in Figure 2 is the indicating mechanism 33, which provides information for the operator to orient the worl piece so that the correction operation may be properly carried out.

Certain of the controls and Huid lines for the pneumatic system utilized in the equipment of the present invention are indicated in Figure 2 by the reference numeral 34.

Cooling fluid is supplied to the Vdrills through control mechanism 297 and fluid line 298.

'It is pointed out that'the physical locations ofthe rvariousk elements for the control systems of the presentV inven- 

